1. Field of the Invention
The invention disclosed and taught herein relates generally to sports boards for both aquatic and non-aquatic related activities. More specifically, the invention relates to incorporating an audio system into various types of sports boards.
2. Description of the Related Art
Sports boards are available in various shapes and sizes. For example, some sports boards are smaller, single-person transport carriers, such as surfboards, wakeboards, or snowboards. Other sports boards are designed as multi-person transport carriers, such as kayaks or canoes. Although sports boards can be employed as a means of conveyance, typically individuals utilize these boards merely to engage in leisurely or sporting activities, such as snowboarding, surfing, or kayaking. While engaging in these activities, individuals sometimes express a desire to listen to music or other audio programming. It is a commonly held belief that music can positively affect an individual's performance while engaging in these leisurely activities. Accordingly, prior art solutions exist providing individuals with the opportunity to listen to music or other audio programming while engaging in these activities.
Commonly, individuals utilize portable audio devices in conjunction with a set of headphones to listen to music while engaging in these sporting activities. Although this solution provides individuals with a means to listen to music while participating in sporting activities, if has several drawbacks. First, portable audio devices are often too bulky to attach to the individual. By way of example, surfers typically wear wetsuits while surfing, and it is often difficult to mount or store these portable audio devices within, on, or around the wetsuit while participating in this particular sport. Second, some of the previously discussed activities can be dangerous, and thus in order to avoid injury, individuals must posses sufficient awareness of the ambient noises of is their environment. Again, using surfing as an example, surfers often rely on their ears to gauge the surf, wind, and the breakers to react appropriately to this volatile environment. Often headphones can distract individuals from these ambient noises, thus increasing the potential for injury.
Alternatively, individuals can utilize a portable audio device in conjunction with a portable external speaker. This solution allows individuals to engage in these activities while enjoying music and other audio programming without dampening one's awareness of the ambient noise of the environment. However, this solution has several drawbacks as well. For example, external speakers are often bulker than their associated portable audio devices, and thus they are difficult or impractical to attach to the individual. Furthermore, these external speakers often do not have the capacity to amplify the sound to appropriate decibel levels while individuals engage in these activities.
It is therefore desirable for individuals to have a better solution for listening to music and other audio programming while engaging in these sporting activities in order to overcome the problems set forth above.